Advanced MusicTechnology and production
Sound Design and Synthesis
By Brainlag
Build sounds from the oscillator up, then design for picture and games: layering, effects, risers, creatures and interfaces.
- Level
- Advanced, university-level, for aspiring composers and producers
- Length
- 11 modules, 57 lessons, about 10 hours
- Before you start
- Music Technology basics, or the same knowledge. No notation needed.
What you'll be able to do
- Build any classic synth sound from a blank patch, and say why each control is where it is
- Choose subtractive, FM, wavetable, granular or sampling for the sound in your head
- Design a sound in layers: transient, body and tail
- Make interface, impact and ambience sounds for games, with variation
- Build risers, hits and creature voices for picture
- Deliver a sound set to a brief, named and levelled
Curriculum
1The synth voice5 lessons, free
- 2Filters in depth5 lessons
- 3Modulation4 lessons
- 4FM and additive5 lessons
- 5Wavetable, granular and physical modelling5 lessons
- 6Sampling5 lessons
- 7Effects6 lessons
- 8Sound design foundations6 lessons
- 9Sound for games and interfaces5 lessons
- 10Cinematic and sci-fi6 lessons
- 11Capstone: a sound set5 lessons
How it works
- LessonsShort, focused lessons with scores and audio you can play.
- Interactive toolsTry every idea in a tool built for it, in the browser.
- ProjectsA project at the end of each module, written to a brief.
- CapstoneA final piece that brings the course together, for your portfolio.
Recommended route
- Music Technology
- Sound Design and SynthesisThis course
- Recording Studio Practice
Questions
Is this a degree?
No. It is a university-level course from Brainlag. It is not accredited and does not award a degree, a diploma or a certificate.
Do I need a synth or a DAW?
No. Every sound in the course is made in the browser. Your own DAW and synths help for the projects.
Do I need to read music?
No. Music Technology basics, or the same knowledge, is enough.
Why not a degree?
This is Brainlag's view.
A UK master's in music costs about £13,000–£18,500 a year, or £30,000–£40,000 for international students, plus living costs. Undergraduate tuition in England is up to £9,790 a year.
In film, TV and games music, composers are usually hired on their portfolio, their reel and their relationships. Clients rarely ask where you studied.
Film composition degrees are fairly new. Many working composers learned by assisting, orchestrating and writing a lot of music.
These courses teach the same craft to a university-level standard, at your own pace, for the price of a subscription.
Brainlag courses are not accredited and do not award a degree or diploma.
Fees for 2026/27, per year, checked 12 October 2026: undergraduate tuition in England up to £9,790 (GOV.UK); MMus Composition £14,876, or £32,760 overseas (RCM); one-year MMus £16,950, or £37,950 international (RNCM); Master of Composition £14,290, or £32,410 overseas (Guildhall).
Included in Brainlag Music: £14.99 a month or £149 a year